Review: Invisible Elephant – Anomie Or Swimming In A Black Sea

Shoegaze folk anyone? This is the daunting prospect which faces those listening to the new Invisible Elephant album; a relatively new project from Blackpool resident Robert Blue.

‘Commercial Appeal’ is little more than field recordings of children but ‘Everything’ is far more representative of the record as a whole since it offers the haziest form of dreampop. A welcome variation is provided by the vocals of Spain-based singer called Ryli who adds a strident performance to the glistening backdrop of ‘Wish’. Its stark beauty contrasts with ‘When It’s All Over’; a track which exudes menace thanks to its controlled mesh of whispers and chaotic guitars. Continuing further, ‘Room 208’ is just a noise but ‘Blank Sound’ adds melody to the distortion to turn it in to an old school shoegaze track. This being a rather odd album though, the bonus track at the end can only be a lovely, intimate acoustic number.

Blue’s work may seem like a mass of contradictions but the juxtaposition of effects and acoustic simplicity hits more than it misses. The result is an uneven but ultimately rewarding experience.